Stocking Your Natural First Aid Kit for Summer

May 10, 2013 by Krissa 8 Comments

For Prevention:

Of course, it’s best to take precautions to avoid having to use any first aid remedies in the first place.

To prevent sunburn:

We know that the sun provides us with the valuable Vitamin D that we need and that many of us are lacking. However, it’s important to pay attention to the amount of time spent in the sun and to use a safe sunscreen or cover your skin if you’re going to be in the sun for an extended period of time. Make sure to educate yourself fully on the importance of Vitamin D, sun exposure, and safe sunscreens before summer begins. Here are some articles I’ve found helpful:

To prevent insect bites:

There are many essential oils that effectively repel insects, and are much safer to use than store bought insect repellent containing DEET. You can make your own insect repellent by combining several of these essential oils in a glass spray bottle with a base. You can use either a carrier oil such as grapeseed oil or olive oil or make a water based version using distilled water and witch hazel.

Insect Repelling Essential Oils include: basil, citronella, lemongrass, lavender, patchouli, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary and thyme.

Directions: Choose your essential oils and combine them in an 4-8 oz. glass spray bottle with either a carrier oil or distilled water. If using distilled water, add an oz. of witch hazel to help the oils blend with the water. Shake, and spray skin before heading outdoors.

For Treatment:

For those times when you do end up getting a bite or spending a little too much time in the sun, and for those inevitable cuts and scrapes, it’s nice to have some easy, safe, home remedies ready to go to provide relief and healing.

For insect bites/stings:

Lavender essential oil is great for providing relief from itching and also contains antiseptic properties. You can apply it neat (without diluting) directly to the bite.

Oat bath: If you’re covered in bites an oat bath can provide some relief and soothing. Simply grind up a cup of oats in a blender and add it to a warm bath. Soak for 20 minutes.

For sunburn:

Both aloe vera (make sure it’s 100% aloe vera, not the green gunk you find at the drug store) and lavender essential oil are great for healing burns and providing relief. I combine the two to make a healing lavender aloe vera sunburn relief spray to soothe sunburned skin:

Directions: Fill a 4-8 oz. glass spray bottle with juice or if using gel, fill the bottle 1/2 way with distilled water and 1/2 way with gel, and add in 20-40 drops of lavender essential oil. Spray on sunburned skin to provide relief, help with healing, and prevent peeling.

If you don’t have aloe vera, you can also just add lavender essential oil to a bottle with distilled water and use that as a spray to relieve sunburned skin.

Another great remedy for sunburn is apple cider vinegar. Although it may not smell great, ACV helps draw the heat out of the burned area. There are a couple ways to apply ACV to a burn:

Add 1-2 TBSP to a cup of cool water. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to help with the smell (and because it’s great for burns!) Soak a washcloth in the mixture, wring it out and wrap it around the sunburned area. You will feel the washcloth heat up as it absorbs the heat from the burn. Repeat as needed.
Run a cool bath and add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and several drops of lavender essential oil. Soak for up to 30 minutes.

I like to start with an apple cider vinegar treatment and then apply the lavender aloe vera spray.

For cuts and scrapes:

Raw Honey: This is an easy one that most people already have in their kitchen cabinet. Raw honey has antibacterial properties and provides pain relief while healing, making it perfect for cuts and scrapes and even bee stings. It also helps make removing bandages less painful.

Lavender Essential Oil: Again, lavender essential oil can be applied directly to the cut or scrape to help heal and soothe.

Melaleuca (tea tree) Essential Oil: Melaleuca essential oil is antibacterial and has been used for centuries to heal cuts, wounds and skin infections. It can be applied neat (without diluting) directly to the cut or scrape.

Multi-taskers:

Along with lavender essential oil, these are a couple of remedies to keep on hand for healing all kinds of things: burns, cuts, scrapes, bites, and stings!

Calendula Salve: Calendula is known for it’s skin-healing properties, it’s perfect for sensitive skin, and a great one to use on children. It’s super easy to mix up a jar of calendula salve to have on hand year-round. Use it to help heal:

~cuts and scrapes
~bee stings/insect bites
~minor burns
~dry, chapped skin or lips
~rashes

Redmond clay: Redmond clay is a bentonite clay that is useful for a variety of things and great to have on hand. It’s helpful for healing cuts and scrapes as well as for bee stings/insect bites, and for minor burns and sunburns. I like to keep the dry clay on hand and then just add a little water and apply to the skin. The clay draws out dirt and infection, reduces pain, and cleanses, which provides for faster healing. Redmond Trading also sells First Aid clay, which is already hydrated clay, so it’s ready to go when you need it.

You can find these ingredients at your local health food store or online at Mountain Rose Herbs. Not only are most of these ingredients helpful during the summertime, but they also have many additional uses year round and are great additions to building a natural home medicine cabinet.

What essentials are in your summer first aid kit?

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Filed Under: Essential Oils, Health and Home Tagged With: DIY, Essential Oils, Home Remedies, lavender

2 Simple Homemade Gifts to Pamper Mom this Mother’s Day

May 8, 2013 by Krissa 1 Comment

{Photo credit: Melissa Camara Wilkens}

With Mother’s Day just a few days away, I have two super quick and simple homemade gifts you can make your mom, so she can feel pampered morning and night. For the morning, an energizing grapefruit & mint sugar scrub. And for the evening, a relaxing lavender chamomile linen spray.

These both take literally minutes to make so once you have your ingredients, you can mix these up and have a homemade gift ready to go in no time!

And…as an added bonus, I’ve teamed up with a good blogging friend, Melissa, who has designed you some beautiful labels to use and has put together a gift wrap how-to over on her blog, so be sure to head on over there to get your free printable and gift wrap how-to.

{Photo credit: Melissa Camara Wilkens}

Here’s what you’ll need to make the sugar scrub and linen spray:

1 jar
1 glass spray bottle
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
distilled water
grapefruit essential oil
peppermint essential oil
lavender essential oil
chamomile essential oil

Energizing Grapefruit & Mint Sugar Scrub

Grapefruit essential oil is balancing and uplifting and great for skin. Peppermint essential oil is purifying and invigorating. This grapefruit & mint sugar scrub is the perfect way to get your day off to a great start.

Directions:

In a small bowl add 1 cup sugar.

Gradually add 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (can also use sweet almond oil) until you reach your desired consistency.

Mix together until well blended.

Add 20 drops grapefruit essential oil.

Add 10 drops peppermint essential oil.

Mix well and scoop into jar.

To use: Scrub lightly on skin in shower and rinse off. This scrub will exfoliate and moisturize, leaving your skin soft and smooth.

Relaxing Lavender & Chamomile Linen Spray

Lavender essential oil is well known for its calming and relaxing properties. Chamomile is used to combat anxiety, insomnia and stress. This relaxing lavender & chamomile linen spray is the ideal way to calm the mind and promote rest at the end of the day.

Directions:

Fill a small 4 oz. glass spray bottle with distilled water.

Add 30 drops lavender essential oil.

Add 10 drops chamomile essential oil.

Shake and spray on pillow and linens before bed.

*If you are using a smaller or larger spray bottle, just adjust the amount of drops accordingly.

Additional uses:

Use as a room spray to freshen the air.
Spray on towels before showering.

Treat your mom this Mother’s Day, or make these for a friend, or yourself! And don’t forget to visit Melissa’s beautiful blog for free gift tag printables. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Essential Oils Tagged With: DIY, Essential Oils, lavender

Two-Ingredient Moisurizing Body Spray and Two Simple Steps to Get Summer Ready Skin

April 30, 2013 by Krissa 1 Comment

I have to confess that I tend to neglect my skin during the Winter months when it’s always covered up. Now that Summer is getting closer and the weather is warming up, I’m needing to get my dry Winter skin ready. These are my two easy steps to getting smooth, Summer-ready skin.

1. Exfoliate

I love making my own sugar body scrubs, and they are perfect for exfoliating and moisturizing. The sugar in the scrubs helps remove dry, dead skin cells and the oil helps smooth and moisturize.

My friend Stacy from A Delightful Home has an amazing eBook Simple Scrubs to Make and Give that’s filled with easy to make scrub recipes. One of my favorites is her Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub. I like to use a scrub 2-3 times a week to exfoliate and get my skin soft.

Note: Simple Scrubs to Make and Give is one of the 97 eBooks in the Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle available through May 4th!

2. Moisturize

On the days I don’t use a sugar body scrub to exfoliate and moisturize, I use this moisturizing body spray right after I get out of the shower. It’s easy to spray on, rub in, and go and doesn’t leave a greasy residue behind.

With only two ingredients, it couldn’t be quicker to make and it’s gotten my skin Summer ready in just a few days.

Instructions:

Fill a glass bottle with a spray top (I used 4 oz. size) 3/4 of the way with fractionated coconut oil, and then add 8-10 drops grapefruit essential oil (or essential oil of your choice).

About the Ingredients

Fractionated Coconut Oil:

Fractionated Coconut Oil is my carrier oil of choice for body oils because it has a long shelf life (2 years) and rubs into the skin more easily than other carrier oils, without leaving skin greasy. You could also use grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, or jojoba oil–all are lightweight and suitable for all skin types.

Grapefruit Essential Oil:

Grapefruit Essential Oil is great for the skin, and I love the scent! It’s a lymphatic stimulant, helpful for cellulite reduction and removing toxins from the body. Lemon, lime, and orange essential oil also have similar properties and could be used as well. Although when using lemon, lime, or orange avoid direct sunlight for 12 hrs. after application to avoid skin irritation.

I purchase my fractionated coconut oil and essential oils from doTERRA. I’ll be sharing here soon about how you can get doTERRA products for 20-25% off, or if you can’t wait, contact me for more information!

Don’t forget! Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Put together a pampering basket for your mom including this body spray and a scrub and some more of her favorites. You can tailor the scent to whatever your mom’s favorite is: try grapefruit + peppermint for an invigorating and refreshing blend. Or lavender for a relaxing, stress relieving scent.

More resources:

**This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase through one of my links, I’ll receive a small commission. Thanks for supporting More Than Mundane!

Shared at Frugally Sustainable.

Filed Under: Essential Oils Tagged With: DIY, Essential Oils

3 Quick and Simple Homemade Gifts

December 6, 2012 by Krissa 1 Comment

I’m not the most crafty or creative person I know, but I do love making homemade gifts. Here’s some of the reasons I enjoy making homemade gifts:

There’s something about putting the thought, time, and effort into making something for someone that I think makes it that much more meaningful.
It can be a more frugal option.
It gives you the ability to customize your gifts.
It’s fun!

Since I don’t know how to sew or knit or make artistic masterpieces of any kind, I have found other ways to make homemade gifts. If you’re looking for a quick and easy homemade gift, try one of these options:

A sugar body scrub. You can whip up a sugar scrub in under 5 minutes. Try my favorite Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub or follow the basic recipe and customize it with your own favorite essential oils. If you’re looking for some great recipes, check out Simple Scrubs to Make and Give.

A baking mix in a jar. This is another quick and easy option. Try my Gingerbread Cookies mix. Or this Buttermilk Pancake mix.

Homemade Vanilla Extract. This is another one that takes less than 5 minutes. It’s as simple as splitting vanilla beans lengthwise, throwing them in a jar and adding vodka. It takes 2 months to turn into vanilla, but don’t let that stop you! I made these last year and simply added a “ready by” date on the bottom. Here’s a free printable label for you too!

If you’re looking for more homemade gift options, check out my Gifting Pinterest board for more inspiration.

What’s your favorite gift to make and give?

Filed Under: Simple Creations Tagged With: DIY, Essential Oils, Recipes

Ten of My Favorite DIY/Homemade Products

July 24, 2012 by Krissa 13 Comments

There are a few things that I love to make on my own for my home rather than buying at the store. They’re all really simple products that have just become second nature for me to make.

It can be overwhelming when thinking about making your own homemade products rather than picking them up at the store, but these are some that take a minimal amount of time (some less than 5 minutes!) and are easy and fun for me to make.

So, in no particular order…here are ten of my favorite homemade products to make:

Homemade Dryer Sheets from Live Renewed
Time required: <5 minutes. I wrote notes to myself on the baby wipes container that I store them in which makes it super quick and easy for me to replenish my stock whenever I run out.

The first time you make them might take a little extra time if you are cutting up old receiving blankets to use as your dryer sheets, but even that didn’t take very long at all!

I use Ecover Ecological Fabric Softener.

Sugar Scrub from A Delightful Home
Time required: 5 minutes. I love making sugar scrubs for gifts and for my own enjoyment! They are so quick and easy to make and such a treat to use.

My two favorites are Lemon Lime Sugar Scrub and Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub. I recommend picking up a copy of Stacy’s ebook Simple Scrubs to Make and Give so you can find your own favorite scrub recipe!

Elderberry Echinacea Syrup from Crunchy Betty
Time required: It only takes about 5 minutes to throw all the ingredients together, but then you let it simmer on the stove for about 45 minutes.

I mainly make this syrup throughout the Fall and Winter months to keep our immunity up during cold and flu season, and my kids love it. It’s one of our favorite cold and flu season immunity boosters.

Deodorant from Keeper of the Home
Time required: 10-15 minutes. This recipe takes a little longer than some others I’ve seen since it includes beeswax and needs to be heated on the stove, but I think it glides on smoother.

The homemade deodorant I first used only takes a couple minutes to mix up, and the recipe can be found on Passionate Homemaking.

I’ve been making my own deodorant for over a year now, but recently have been experiencing some irritation so I’m trying to figure out the problem. I think it may be due to the baking soda or due to using cornstarch instead of arrowroot, so I’m going to make some changes and maybe add in some more soothing ingredients, like shea butter or infuse my coconut oil with calendula. And I’m definitely going to make sure to use arrowroot in my next batch. Hopefully I’ll come up with the perfect combination, and will be sure to share it here when I do.

Vanilla Extract from Joy the Baker
Time required: 5 minutes or less. BUT…then you have to let it sit for 2 months, so make sure to plan ahead. I think this also makes the perfect gift, but you definitely have to get it going a couple months before you want to gift it.

Kudzu Apple Juice from Keeper of the Home
Time required: 10-15 minutes. My kids love this and it’s my go-to when they have colds. It helps reduce cold symptoms and provides nutrition, so it’s perfect when kids are not wanting to eat because they’re not feeling well. I’m always looking for ways to get lots of liquids into my kids when they’re sick, and this is a great way to do it!

I buy my Kudzu Root Powder from Mountain Rose Herbs. Find it here.

Homemade Vapo-Rub
Time required: <5 minutes. I always have some of this mixed up, especially during cold season. I rub it on the bottoms of my kid’s feet and chests when they are congested or have coughs, and it really cuts down on their coughing.

Linen/Room Spray from A Delightful Home
Time required: <5 minutes. I have several bottles of these sprays mixed up and stashed around the house. I use a lavender spray on my pillows and sheets before going to bed at night, and I use a citrus scented spray to freshen up the house when it’s needed (like after a diaper change!)

Apple Cider Vinegar Toner for Acne from Crunchy Betty.
Time required: <5 minutes. This one’s for my husband. He loves this stuff! I use an old container from some store bought toner he used years ago and I marked the amounts on it to save myself time when I’m making it and so I don’t have to look up the recipe every time I make it.

Applesauce
Time required: 15-20 minutes to prep. And then it cooks in the crockpot for 4 hours. During the Fall I make this at least once a week. It’s so easy and a great staple to have on hand, especially if you have kids!

These are just some of the many things I enjoy making in my home. For more, check out Emily’s guest post from earlier this year with tons of ideas!

Do you make any of your own homemade products? What are some of your favorites to make?

Shared at Nature’s Nurture, Your Green Resource, Whole Foods Wednesday, Adorned from Above, Simply Natural Saturdays, Eat Make Grow Blog Hop, and Frugally Sustainable.

**This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase through one of my links, I’ll receive a small commission. Thanks for supporting More Than Mundane!

Filed Under: Health and Home Tagged With: DIY, Essential Oils, Home Remedies

Our Homemade Home

May 22, 2012 by Krissa 2 Comments

Today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at Yeah Baby it’s Cold Outside about using essential oils, and I’m excited to welcome Emily McClements from Live Renewed to More Than Mundane:
Photo by Emily McClements

My family and I have been on a journey toward more green, natural and healthy living for almost five years now. It’s a little crazy to me to realize that it has been that long, and we’ve definitely taken our time, made small and easy changes, and taken baby-steps that have gotten us to where we are today.

I have to say that it’s been a really fun journey for us. I love learning new things, researching and trying out new ways of doing things, and one of my favorite parts has been making homemade products for us to use all around our home.

It’s kind of funny, but I get a little thrill from being able to make stuff at home, usually from items and ingredients that I already have on hand, that I used to buy at the store. I love knowing exactly what is going into the products that my family are using, it’s better for the environment because it saves on production, packaging and transportation resources, and it almost always saves me money at the same time. You can’t ask for much more than that!

Today, if you were to walk around my home, and look inside my cabinets (but please don’t, they’re a little messy and unorganized right now!) you would find homemade products of all different types and kinds. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite homemade items that we use on a regular basis in our home.

Cleaning/Laundry

Photo by Emily McClements

Diving into making my own natural and homemade cleaning products was one of the very first changes that I made around my house. After using homemade cleaning products for almost five years, here are my favorites:

Vinegar and Baking Soda — These two items are the basics of homemade and natural cleaning.

Multipurpose Cleaner – Basically just water, castile soap and tea tree oil mixed together in a spray bottle.

Soft Scrub/Bathroom Cleaner – I love this homemade soft scrub for deep cleaning my bathroom.

Disinfecting Wipes – A reusable and non-toxic, yet still convenient, alternative to Clorox wipes.

Dryer Sheets – Love these in the winter time for softening clothes and helping reduce static.

Stain Remover – I’m still working on finding the ultimate homemade stain remover that works on anything, but this one comes pretty close.

Beauty and Personal Care Products

Photo by Emily McClements

I’m still pretty new at making homemade personal care products, this is one area where I have a long list of things I’d like to learn to make. These are the beauty products I make and use on a regular basis:

Foaming Hand Soap – So cheap and so easy to make!

Shampoo and Conditioner – The no shampoo method for washing your hair.

Homemade Deodorant – This is the best recipe I’ve found for homemade deodorant – works great for this pregnant mama!

Face Wash – My skin has never looked better!

In the Kitchen

Cooking from scratch is a great way to serve your family healthy and real foods, while saving money at the same time. It does take a little bit of extra time, and at this point in my life I don’t do as much from scratch cooking as I would like, but here are a few of our favorites that don’t take much extra time at all:

Cooking a Whole Chicken and Homemade Chicken Broth – Homemade chicken broth is so nutritious and a super frugal way to use what would otherwise be garbage scraps.

Vanilla Coffee Creamer – I love my morning coffee with this creamer!

Homemade Yogurt – It’s easier than you think, and will save you lots of money.

Macaroni and Cheese – Just as quick and easy as from the box.

Making things at home has definitely become somewhat of a hobby for me. I really like finding ideas and recipes and trying them out – sometimes they work, sometimes it is a total fail, but I like to keep trying until I come up with something that works. There are many more things that I make at home, but the list above are my favorites, and I didn’t want to overwhelm you if you are just starting out with homemade products.

I think the key is to start small, try one thing at a time ’til you find what works best for you and your family, make it a regular part of your routine, and then move on to another product. I didn’t add all these things into our lives overnight, or even over the course of a week or two. It’s been a years long process for us, and there are still so many more things that I want to try making at home, and find our own homemade version for, but I know I need to take it one step at a time.

I hope this list will give you some ideas and encouragement to begin making your own homemade products, and I hope that you come to enjoy the health, environmental, and savings benefits as much as I do!

What is your favorite product to make at home? Or what is one item you’d like to try making a homemade version of?

Visit Life Your Way to see all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants!

Filed Under: Health and Home Tagged With: DIY, Recipes

Herb Gardening

March 26, 2012 by Krissa Leave a Comment

Today I’m over at Simple Homemade talking about planting an herb garden and sharing ideas for the many ways to use fresh herbs. From the post:

My dreams of having a full on garden may not be a realistic option this year, but having a small herb garden is always a possibility. Choosing a few of your favorite and most used herbs to plant each year is something you can do no matter how limited your space.

I use pots on my back porch for a small herb garden, but you can also create an indoor herb garden if you don’t have any outdoor space at all. I love being able to walk out the back door and have a variety of fresh herbs available for my use, rather than having to buy those small bunches at the store for $2.00 or more every time I want some fresh herbs!

Head over to Simple Homemade to read the rest…

Filed Under: Health and Home Tagged With: DIY, Simple Homemade

Make Your Own Oil of Oregano

March 15, 2012 by Krissa 30 Comments

Oil of Oregano has many health benefits. It can reduce pain and inflammation and can fight off infection. It also can boost the immune system. It has been used to reduce the symptoms and duration of the cold and flu, help relieve digestive problems, and provide relief for muscle aches and pains.

Uses for Oil of Oregano:

Sinus Congestion, Colds and Sore Throats, and Digestive Problems-Add a couple drops to a glass of water or juice and drink. For sinus congestion you can also rub some diluted oil or oregano directly on your sinuses for relief.

Sore Muscles, Arthritis, Aches and Pains-Massage into affected area to relieve pain and inflammation. Dilute with olive oil and always test on a small area first.

Make Oil of Oregano:

If you have some fresh oregano on hand, you can make your own oil of oregano. You will need a 1:1 ratio of oregano to oil, or you can use more oregano to make a stronger batch. I used 1/2 a cup oregano and 1/2 a cup olive oil.

1. Wash and dry your oregano.

2. Place the oregano leaves in a plastic ziplock bag (don’t close) and cover the bag with a kitchen towel.

3. Pound on the bag with a meat mallet or something similar. This will release the oils.

4. Heat up some olive oil or grape seed oil until warm. Do not boil.

5. Add the oil in to the bag with the oregano and squeeze the mixture for a minute or two.

6. Now pour the mixture into a clean class jar and place somewhere cool and dry for 2 weeks.

7. After 2 weeks, strain the oregano from the oil. I use the smallest strainer in this set of Cuisinart Mesh Strainers.

As always, please do your own research and use caution when trying new herbal remedies. Oil of oregano should not be used when pregnant.

Shared at Your Green Resource and Frugally Sustainable.

**This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase through one of my links, I’ll receive a small commission. Thanks for supporting More Than Mundane!

Filed Under: Health and Home Tagged With: DIY, Home Remedies

32 Before 32: Final Results

January 18, 2012 by Krissa 2 Comments

Three months ago I decided to make a list of 32 things I wanted to do before my 32nd birthday. Today is my birthday…and here’s how things ended up:

For health and beauty:

~~1. Start each day with lemon water.~~ I did this fairly consistently every day!
2. Give myself an herbal steam facial. I have no excuse for not doing this one…I will soon!
3. Take my CLO Daily. Only did this sporadically, so I’m not going to check it off the list.
~~4. Make some Echinacea Tincture.~~ I ended up making this elderberry echinacea syrup instead.
5. Oil Pull or swish with clove/tea tree oil daily. Only did this a few times.
6. ~~Make my own toothpaste.~~ DONE!
~~7. Treat myself to a mocha-frappuccino face mask.~~ DONE! I loved this. The recipe made a lot, so next time I might cut it in half, but I enjoyed the mask and it wasn’t as messy as I had expected.
8. Cut down on refined sugar. I think this one needed to be more specific. I’m not sure if I cut down much, but I do regularly replace a lot of refined sugar with other options.
9. Make this calendula salve. Never got to this one…after I made the 3 in 1 healing balm I needed a break from salve and balm making.
~~10. Make my own facial clay mask~~. DONE! I made a lavender facial smoother from which used clay.
11. ~~Try this Kudzu-Apple Juice as a cold remedy for the kids.~~ Actually tried this one for myself too. Instead of apple juice I used cranberry apple cider and it was great!
12. ~~Make 3-in-1 Healing Balm (from Herbal Nurturing eBook)~~ DONE!

To eat or drink:

13. ~~Make Water Kefir.~~ DONE!
14. ~~Make some herb-infused honey.~~ DONE! I made lavender infused honey.
15. Make Chai Concentrate. (I’ve been buying a powdered version at Trader Joe’s but want something better for me that I can make myself.) Made this once, but I don’t think it’s strong enough, so I’m going to try another batch soon.
16. Make my own vanilla extract. (Maybe I can even use this for Christmas gifts if I get started soon!) DONE! I ordered my vanilla beans here. I tried a couple different vanilla beans and I think my favorites were the Tahitian.
~~17. Make Four Thieves Vinegar.~~ DONE!
18. Plant some garlic. Uh-oh…I think I might be too late on this one!
~~19. Make some peanut butter.~~ DONE!
20. ~~Make this ricotta.~~ DONE! This was so delicious and so easy. I highly recommend it.
~~21. Bake some bread.~~ DONE! This was so much easier than I thought it would be…I don’t know why I was so intimidated by it.
~~22. Make my own “Larabars” (from the Healthy Snacks to Go eBook.)~~ DONE!

For the home:

23. Make this hand soap. (Just add 1-2 T. castille soap in your soap dispenser with water.) DONE! So easy, and works great in foaming hand soap dispensers.
24. Make Beeswax Wood Polish. Didn’t get to this one yet!
25. ~~Make this tub scrub…and then use it.~~ DONE!
26. ~~Make this homemade air freshener.~~ DONE!
27. Replant some succulents. Hoping to do some gardening in the next few weeks and this is one of the things I’ll be doing then.
28. ~~Make herbal fire starters and enjoy lots of cozy fires on cold winter nights.~~ Done! (That’s them in the photo above.)
~~29. “Spring” clean my mattress.~~ DONE! This is something I’ll be doing on a regular basis from now on. I had no idea you could clean a mattress like this.
30. Remember to use my reusable produce bags! I’ve remembered once, so that’s better than nothing!

For fun:

31. ~~Make playdough with the kids. (This was also on my summer fun list and never happened.)~~ DONE! This was really easy and fun and I loved adding in essential oils for a nice scent.
32. Make a doorway puppet theater. Haven’t done this yet. I need to make a trip to a thrift store to find a sheet still. But I think it would be fun!

Charlotte playing with the playdough we made.

So, I think I only technically completed of 22 the 32. Some of them I did, just not consistently. I did have fun and discovered lots of new things that I will continue to do around my home.

Filed Under: Health and Home Tagged With: DIY, Essential Oils, Home Remedies, Recipes